When A Loved One Falls Ill

When a Loved One Falls Ill

The much-needed book for anyone with a loved one facing a serious illness. It is the book that’s a bible for how to make the potentially life-or-death decisions that every medical advocate, and every patient, must grapple with—especially now, as health care becomes ever more complicated. It is the practical blueprint for how to be a successful medical advocate. When Gerri Monaghan’s husband, Brian, then a fifty-nine-year-old lawyer at the top of his game, got the news that all of us dread—a diagnosis of brain tumors caused by Stage IV melanoma with a prognosis of three to six months to live—she knew that this was a challenge the two of them would fight together. Brian brought his enormous courage, attitude, and reserves of humor, and Gerri, with dogged determination, stood up again and again for what they needed—tirelessly researching options, reaching out to friends, family, and anyone who could help, resisting the status quo, and always thinking in terms of “we.” Together they tell their story, back and forth, punctuated throughout by Gerri’s top 50 tips for how to be an advocate: #1 Trust your intuition. #6 Create a battle plan. #15 Get copies of records. #26 Make doctors speak in a language that you understand. #33 Don’t schedule surgery during the holidays. #49 Remember, this is not a dress rehearsal.

Loving Someone with a Serious Mental Illness

Powerful and practical tools to help you support your loved one with serious mental illness, while also making room for your own needs. If you have a loved one—a spouse, adult child, or other family member—who has a mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression and is experiencing symptoms like psychosis, you need help right now. Delusions and hearing voices can be frightening. Mania can be unpredictable. Isolation and withdrawal can make things worse. Things are made even more challenging when your loved one is resistant to treatment. You may feel helpless watching them struggle. And you may question whether you can handle the myriad everyday practical and emotional challenges ahead. It’s important to know that you are not alone. Authors Katherine Ponte and Izzy Goncalves have been there. They are there. During Katherine’s ongoing eighteen-year recovery from severe bipolar disorder and depression, her husband Izzy has been her primary caregiver. Together through trial, trauma, and triumph, they have amassed an unmatched store of lived experiences, shared perspectives, and lessons learned. They now bravely share, for the first time, everything they have come to understand about the challenges they’ve faced and surmounted together. A vital resource for families combating mental illness, this book will help you: Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness Maintain and improve communication between you and your loved one Better understand your loved one’s feelings and emotions Handle special situations, including de-escalating an emergency Discover different options for treatment Make room for self-care The book never forgets one crucial truth: you have needs, too. That’s why the authors provide resources to ensure that you stay healthy, well-rested, and energized, so you can help your loved one on the path to recovery.

A Link to Heaven